Maranzano crime family

The Maranzano crime family was a family of the American Mafia that ruled Brooklyn, New York City from the 1920s to 1931. The family was led by the Sicilian Salvatore Maranzano, and the Maranzano family became one of the most powerful Mafia families due to its role in bootlegging and narcotics trafficking. From 1929 to 1931, the Maranzano family fought against the Masseria crime family during the Castellammarese War, and the war would end in victory after Lucky Luciano assassinated Joe Masseria at a Coney Island restaurant. Maranzano divided New York between the Five Families, and his Maranzano family remained the most powerful. In September 1931, Luciano decided to have Maranzano assassinated as well, as he wanted to liberalize the Mafia and wipe out the old-fashioned, Sicilian old order. Maranzano was gunned down by several Murder, Inc. hitmen posing as federal agents, and Joseph Bonanno took over his family, which became the Bonanno crime family.